Reynolds: Still a long road ahead for Braves

Bradley’s convincing 64-45 Wednesday victory over Illinois State completed the first half of the Missouri Valley Conference season for the Braves.

Considering the team’s disappointing 5-8 nonconference season, a 4-5 league mark and a three-way tie for fourth place is encouraging.

“We’re still in the thick of it,” said BU coach Geno Ford. “Tied for fourth is an awfully good spot to be in. But we’re also one game out of last. Three through 10 is awfully jumbled and up in the air. The question is who’s going to play well to get a good seed in St. Louis.”

Wichita State, at 9-0, and Indiana State, at 7-2, are the odds-on favorites to finish 1-2. Then comes Northern Iowa at 5-4 and Bradley, Illinois State and Missouri State at 4-5. Drake, Evansville, Southern Illinois and Loyola bring up the rear at 3-6.

Bradley’s second-half issue is five of the remaining nine games are on the road where the Braves are 0-7 this season (plus 0-2 on neutral courts).

Although an 8-10 record has sometimes been good enough to stay out of the Thursday night play-in round, it may not be this year with so many even teams.

Two years ago, for instance, Wichita and Creighton separated themselves at the top and then five teams finished 9-9. That meant one .500 team in league play was saddled with a Thursday assignment.

“I feel like we’re poised to play well the rest of the year,” Ford said. “We have a confidence level we didn’t have before. But there’s no doubt, to finish in the top four, we’ll have to win some road games.

“But our team, with its lack of experience, can’t take too much of a big picture approach. We have to keep grinding it out and keep our confidence up.”

The next two games, on the road at Missouri State on Saturday and at Loyola on Thursday, will be timely places for the Braves to begin some road success.

NEW RULES UPDATE: So how do Valley coaches believe the new hand-checking and contact fouls have played out this season?

It’s a mixed bag.

Speaking during this week’s MVC coaches teleconference, Southern Illinois coach Barry Hinson, angry in the preseason at the changes, is even more incensed with how the rules have been interpreted.

“I’m not upset at the officials, I’m upset at the inconsistency we have in college officiating,” he said. “We have officials who tell me night in and night out that they’re confused and don’t know how to call the game. It blows my mind. The consistency we’ve had this year has been awful.

Page 2 of 2 - “I’m extremely upset about it. We got a memo this week (from the NCAA) that it’s changing the game for the better and I absolutely think that’s a complete political spin and a scam. “

Other coaches agreed at Hinson’s inconsistency charge.

“To be honest, they’re not calling it like they were at the beginning of the year,” said Illinois State coach Dan Muller. “It would be nice if they went back. Foul trouble hasn’t been an issue like it was at the beginning of the season.”

Said Indiana State coach Greg Lansing: “We’ve had games where one half you have seven fouls and another you have 20. I feel for the officials. They’re trying to do what they’re told to do.”

Bradley coach Geno Ford believes players have adjusted.

“The rules committee gave those guys an impossible job,” Ford said. “For years, a good official’s goal was to blend in and not be a factor. Now it’s being emphasized to call everything.

“They were put in a tough spot. I think they’ve really been consistent with hand-checking and I think players have adjusted. I think that’s why you’re seeing less hand-check calls.”

To a defensive-minded coach like Ford, that’s good news.

“You’re seeing some physicality allowed on the ball,” he said. “In my opinion? Thank goodness. Whatever we were doing the first month of the season, I can’t imagine that’s what the rules committee hoped they would get. You couldn’t guard anyone. You almost had to sit down Indian-style and let a guy go. Now there’s some ability to defend.”

BRAVES BRIEFS: BU commit Tramique Sutherland, the 5-foot-11 point guard from Hill College (Texas), missed two games with a foot injury and then had a strong return effort Wednesday, posting a triple-double. He had 11 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.

Dave Reynolds covers Bradley men’s basketball for the Journal Star. He can be reached at 686-3210 or dreynolds@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @davereynolds2.